I have read three books in a row that I really enjoyed.
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
I have always enjoyed Atul Gawande's books, especially the Checklist Manifesto. In this book, he takes a close look at health care and general care issues associated with the elderly. The book takes a critical look at what seems to work and what seems to be a bad idea for elderly care. I think everyone 40 or older should read this book because both you and your parents (if they are still living) will want to have this information. Grade: A-
Dataclysm: Who We Are* by Christian Rudder
The author is one of the founders and chief data analyst for the dating website OkCupid. Both the book and the data in it are interesting. Most of the data is related to dating and personal relationships, but the author pulls from data sources beyond OkCupid. The most interesting data in the whole book, in my mind, is the data on what age individual people are most attracted to relative to their own age. For example, what age women does a 40 year old male find most attractive and what age man does a 40 year old women find most attractive. Interesting book. It could have been a little shorter, but still interesting. Grade: B
How Google Works by Eric Schmidt and Jonathon Rosenberg
This book is written by the former CEO of Google and one of the other executives. The book basically talks about the business practices that Google follows -- practices that seem to work for Google, and it addresses why they probably work. It also talks about the changing business and cultural landscape (thanks to the internet) and how businesses should potentially respond to those changes. This is probably the best business book I've read. Grade: A
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Fall Book Reviews
What If? by Randall Munroe
This book is by the author of the excellent XKCD web-comic strip, and he is also a physicist. Basically the book is a bunch of answers to somewhat crazy questions that readers have asked Mr. Munroe. For example, how many laser pointers would you have to shine at the moon to make it brighter? How high of an altitude would you need to drop a steak to have it cooked when it hits the ground. What would happen if all lightening bolts that hit the earth at a given moment in time were combined into one? What if a baseball pitcher threw a ball near the speed of light. Could you fly a plane on another planet? Very interesting and very funny. Grade: A-
The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku
A very interesting book about what is known about the brain, current research, and potential technologies. Most of the book was very interesting. It got a little slow and dry near the end, but, overall, it is worth reading. Grade: B
What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell
A book about what Rob Bell learned after a crisis of faith. Grade: B+
This book is by the author of the excellent XKCD web-comic strip, and he is also a physicist. Basically the book is a bunch of answers to somewhat crazy questions that readers have asked Mr. Munroe. For example, how many laser pointers would you have to shine at the moon to make it brighter? How high of an altitude would you need to drop a steak to have it cooked when it hits the ground. What would happen if all lightening bolts that hit the earth at a given moment in time were combined into one? What if a baseball pitcher threw a ball near the speed of light. Could you fly a plane on another planet? Very interesting and very funny. Grade: A-
The Future of the Mind by Michio Kaku
A very interesting book about what is known about the brain, current research, and potential technologies. Most of the book was very interesting. It got a little slow and dry near the end, but, overall, it is worth reading. Grade: B
What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell
A book about what Rob Bell learned after a crisis of faith. Grade: B+
Sunday, October 5, 2014
September Book Reviews
Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
I've read over a dozen books by Stephen King, and he has written over 50 books. This was the worst book by him that I have read. I didn't like the characters or the plot. Yuck. Grade: D-
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces that Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull
The author is one of the three founders of Pixar -- along with John Lasseter and Steve Jobs. I would describe the role of the three founders as being: John is the creative one, Steve is the financial/visionary one, and Ed is the technical one. The book begins with Ed's experiences is graduate school in Utah, and it continues through to today when Pixar is part of Disney and Lasseter and Catmull lead the animation division. I found the book incredibly interesting. Ed talks about all the different lessons he's learned and strategies they've developed. I think that almost anyone could learn something from this book, but people that work in research -- at the intersection of knowledge and creativity -- would probably benefit the most. Great book. Grade: A-
The Cost of Cutting by Paul A Ruggieri
This book is focused on surgery, hence the reference to 'cutting' in the title, and economics. Some parts of the book were interesting, especially the chapters on the increasing role of hospitals in healthcare, the decline of surgeons in private practice, and the use of robots in surgery. However, I was frustrated that the most fundamental of questions seemed to go unanswered. Specifically, given that (1) healthcare costs in the US have increased at an incredible rate for the last couple decades and (2) the author repeated complains about the reduction in payments to surgeons, where is the money going?? The book lists the salary's of doctors as typically being $220,000 to well over $500,000 per year, so maybe (2) isn't such a big deal, but he never gives a clear answer to this apparent paradox. He hints that hospitals and medical device companies are the villains, but he never says it clearly. I was disappointed. Grade: C+
I've read over a dozen books by Stephen King, and he has written over 50 books. This was the worst book by him that I have read. I didn't like the characters or the plot. Yuck. Grade: D-
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces that Stand in the Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull
The author is one of the three founders of Pixar -- along with John Lasseter and Steve Jobs. I would describe the role of the three founders as being: John is the creative one, Steve is the financial/visionary one, and Ed is the technical one. The book begins with Ed's experiences is graduate school in Utah, and it continues through to today when Pixar is part of Disney and Lasseter and Catmull lead the animation division. I found the book incredibly interesting. Ed talks about all the different lessons he's learned and strategies they've developed. I think that almost anyone could learn something from this book, but people that work in research -- at the intersection of knowledge and creativity -- would probably benefit the most. Great book. Grade: A-
The Cost of Cutting by Paul A Ruggieri
This book is focused on surgery, hence the reference to 'cutting' in the title, and economics. Some parts of the book were interesting, especially the chapters on the increasing role of hospitals in healthcare, the decline of surgeons in private practice, and the use of robots in surgery. However, I was frustrated that the most fundamental of questions seemed to go unanswered. Specifically, given that (1) healthcare costs in the US have increased at an incredible rate for the last couple decades and (2) the author repeated complains about the reduction in payments to surgeons, where is the money going?? The book lists the salary's of doctors as typically being $220,000 to well over $500,000 per year, so maybe (2) isn't such a big deal, but he never gives a clear answer to this apparent paradox. He hints that hospitals and medical device companies are the villains, but he never says it clearly. I was disappointed. Grade: C+
Saturday, August 23, 2014
More Summer Book Reviews
Behind the Beautiful Forever by Katherine Boo
This is a non-fiction book about life in a Mumbai undercity. It reminded me some of the book "A Fine Balance", which was both beautifully written, moving, heart breaking and very challenging, but these same feelings were even stronger here since it was non-fiction. Very well written and very difficult to read. Grade: B+
The Upcycle by Michael Braungart
An interesting book about designing the things in our world -- our homes, chairs, cars, carpets, etc. with more foresight so that they can be reused and recycled. I kept thinking, however, that the authors were overselling their ideas. I think we can learn something from this book, but not as much as the authors think we can learn fro this book. Grade: C+
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A story set in World War II about a German boy, who has a gift for radios that eventually takes him into the army, and a blind French girl. The book is well written, and the reviews and book sales are extremely positive, but it wasn't for me. I need more happiness in my fiction. Grade: B-
How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking by Jordan Ellenberg
An incredible book about the history and power of mathematics. I think every college student at every university should be required to read this book. It will definitely help me to be a better teacher. Grade: A
This is a non-fiction book about life in a Mumbai undercity. It reminded me some of the book "A Fine Balance", which was both beautifully written, moving, heart breaking and very challenging, but these same feelings were even stronger here since it was non-fiction. Very well written and very difficult to read. Grade: B+
The Upcycle by Michael Braungart
An interesting book about designing the things in our world -- our homes, chairs, cars, carpets, etc. with more foresight so that they can be reused and recycled. I kept thinking, however, that the authors were overselling their ideas. I think we can learn something from this book, but not as much as the authors think we can learn fro this book. Grade: C+
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
A story set in World War II about a German boy, who has a gift for radios that eventually takes him into the army, and a blind French girl. The book is well written, and the reviews and book sales are extremely positive, but it wasn't for me. I need more happiness in my fiction. Grade: B-
How Not to Be Wrong: The Power of Mathematical Thinking by Jordan Ellenberg
An incredible book about the history and power of mathematics. I think every college student at every university should be required to read this book. It will definitely help me to be a better teacher. Grade: A
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Summer Book Reviews
Paper Towns by John Green
This book is by the same author as The Fault in Our Stars, and the books share a number of characteristics including the fact that most of the characters are teenagers and the dialogue in the book is the best I've ever read. This book had me laughing so hard I was almost crying a few times -- the dialogue is simply brilliant. The plot of this book, however, was pretty weak. Some of the characters are shallow and uninspiring, and the pace is slow at times. I'd recommend the book, but keep your plot expectations low... Grade: B
Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik
Even though I've taken multiple college level courses on material science, I learned a lot while reading this book. The author does an outstanding job of make material science understandable and interesting while at the same time demonstrating the important role it plays in modern science and shaping modern society. A great balance of science and interesting anecdotes. Grade: B+
DEEP: The Story of Skiing and the Future of Snow by Porter Fox
This book is by the same author as The Fault in Our Stars, and the books share a number of characteristics including the fact that most of the characters are teenagers and the dialogue in the book is the best I've ever read. This book had me laughing so hard I was almost crying a few times -- the dialogue is simply brilliant. The plot of this book, however, was pretty weak. Some of the characters are shallow and uninspiring, and the pace is slow at times. I'd recommend the book, but keep your plot expectations low... Grade: B
Stuff Matters: Exploring the Marvelous Materials that Shape our Man-Made World by Mark Miodownik
Even though I've taken multiple college level courses on material science, I learned a lot while reading this book. The author does an outstanding job of make material science understandable and interesting while at the same time demonstrating the important role it plays in modern science and shaping modern society. A great balance of science and interesting anecdotes. Grade: B+
DEEP: The Story of Skiing and the Future of Snow by Porter Fox
This book is a cord made of three strands: (1) a story about how amazing it is to ski in powder, (2) a story about a tragedy at a ski resort in Washington state, and (3) a description of the future of skiing if global warming continues. It is not easy to weave these three narratives together, but the author does a great job of doing just that. This book made me care more about global warming than I did previously. Grade: A-
12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie. The book was heart breaking and thought provoking and I'm hoping for a great movie. Grade: B
12 Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
I wanted to read the book before seeing the movie. The book was heart breaking and thought provoking and I'm hoping for a great movie. Grade: B
Saturday, June 7, 2014
May Book Reviews
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
A story about preteen that is basically forced to become a soldier in a very viscous war in Sierra Leone. A very intense and difficult book to read, but also very enlightening in terms of exposure to something way outside my own realm of experiences. It is one of those books that I'm very glad I read, but I am also reluctant to recommend it because it is so disturbing at times. Grade: B
A More Beautiful Question by Warren Berger
As the titled implies, this book encourages people to ask more questions and ask better questions to help them become more productive and influential. The book is fine, but not very memorable. Grade: C
The Racketeer by John Grisham
A typical Grisham book that includes, of course, a lawyer on the run. Very reminiscent of The Firm. As with most Grisham books, I really enjoyed this book. They highlight is that I thought I had it all figured out about halfway through, but I was wrong and the end was still somewhat surprising. The plot had a few holes, but they were all forgivable. Grade: B
Think like a Freak by Steven Levitt and Stphen J. Dubner
Great book and as good as their first two "freak" books -- maybe even better. This book teaches people how to be skeptical, inquisitive, and basically smarter. I really enjoyed this one. Grade: A-
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
The irony is that this book advocates and teaches us to simplify and edit stuff out of our lives to make them more focused on the truly important things while, at the same time, being a bit repetitive and in need of editing. My criticisms about repetitiveness aside, this is a great book that could benefit almost everyone. I hope that I can learn to cut nonessential stuff out of my life and focus on the essential. Highly suggested for everyone. Grade: A- (this grade could be moved up to an A or down to a B within the next 6 months... we'll see)
Sunday, May 4, 2014
April Book Reviews
I read some great, great books in April!
All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior
This is the book that I wish someone had given me once upon a time. It does a really nice job of describing the challenges of the various stages of parenthood. In my experience, the book is very insightful and authentic. The last chapter does a really nice job of highlighting the joys of parenthood -- make sure you read the last chapter. Grade: A-
Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis
Get a copy of this book and read it! It is a book about the impact of high frequency trading on the stock market and about a group of individuals fighting against this influence. I found it to be incredibly interesting. A must read. Grade: A
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed
An incredible book about a troubled women that decided to hike the Pacific Coast Trail. Extraordinarily good. I would love to hike even a part of the PCT someday. Grade: A
All Joy and No Fun: The Paradox Modern Parenthood by Jennifer Senior
This is the book that I wish someone had given me once upon a time. It does a really nice job of describing the challenges of the various stages of parenthood. In my experience, the book is very insightful and authentic. The last chapter does a really nice job of highlighting the joys of parenthood -- make sure you read the last chapter. Grade: A-
Flash Boys: A Wall Street Revolt by Michael Lewis
Get a copy of this book and read it! It is a book about the impact of high frequency trading on the stock market and about a group of individuals fighting against this influence. I found it to be incredibly interesting. A must read. Grade: A
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Coast Trail by Cheryl Strayed
An incredible book about a troubled women that decided to hike the Pacific Coast Trail. Extraordinarily good. I would love to hike even a part of the PCT someday. Grade: A
Sunday, March 30, 2014
March Book Reviews
Wow -- I found some great books this month!
Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Maddow
An interesting book about the changes in the size and scope of the US military since about WWII. The focus was on changes under Reagan and G. H. W. Bush. I learned some interesting perspectives on history while reading -- mostly history that I lived. I didn't agree with all of Ms. Maddow's conclusions, but many seemed to be supported by the data. Interesting. Grade: B
Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists that Changed Our Understanding of Life and the Universe by Mario Livio
I love Mario Livio's writing, including "The Equation that Couldn't Be Solved" -- one of my all time favorite non-fiction books. This books was excellent, but not what I expected. I thought it was going to be about failed experiments or mistaken analysis that accidentally led to a breakthrough -- e.g., like the discovery of penicillin. Instead, it was mostly about mistaken assumptions by great scientists that were later shown to be incorrect. It was still a great book, but I think they should have picked a different subtitle. The mistakes themselves didn't change our understanding of the universe, instead, when others corrected the mistakes -- that changed our understanding. It was comforting to see that everyone makes mistakes, however. Grade: A-
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
An incredibly well written book about teenage cancer. Should be released as a movie in a few weeks, but I'm guessing the book will be better. Masterfully written book, but it will rip your heart out and stomp on it at times. Grade: A-
The Second Machine Age: Work Progress and Prosperity in a TIme of Brilliant Technologies by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee
Excellent book about the technological changes that have resulted from the development of computers and networks. The book explores the changes, the rate of change, the impacts of change (hint: a few big winners and many loosers), and offers suggestions for better handling the changes. I feel like the book should be required reading for everyone under 40, especially those with children because it will help us to prepare for those changes. It should also be required reading for teachers, so we can better prepare the next generation for the challenges they will face. Grade: A-
Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power by Rachel Maddow
An interesting book about the changes in the size and scope of the US military since about WWII. The focus was on changes under Reagan and G. H. W. Bush. I learned some interesting perspectives on history while reading -- mostly history that I lived. I didn't agree with all of Ms. Maddow's conclusions, but many seemed to be supported by the data. Interesting. Grade: B
Brilliant Blunders: From Darwin to Einstein Colossal Mistakes by Great Scientists that Changed Our Understanding of Life and the Universe by Mario Livio
I love Mario Livio's writing, including "The Equation that Couldn't Be Solved" -- one of my all time favorite non-fiction books. This books was excellent, but not what I expected. I thought it was going to be about failed experiments or mistaken analysis that accidentally led to a breakthrough -- e.g., like the discovery of penicillin. Instead, it was mostly about mistaken assumptions by great scientists that were later shown to be incorrect. It was still a great book, but I think they should have picked a different subtitle. The mistakes themselves didn't change our understanding of the universe, instead, when others corrected the mistakes -- that changed our understanding. It was comforting to see that everyone makes mistakes, however. Grade: A-
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
An incredibly well written book about teenage cancer. Should be released as a movie in a few weeks, but I'm guessing the book will be better. Masterfully written book, but it will rip your heart out and stomp on it at times. Grade: A-
The Second Machine Age: Work Progress and Prosperity in a TIme of Brilliant Technologies by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee
Excellent book about the technological changes that have resulted from the development of computers and networks. The book explores the changes, the rate of change, the impacts of change (hint: a few big winners and many loosers), and offers suggestions for better handling the changes. I feel like the book should be required reading for everyone under 40, especially those with children because it will help us to prepare for those changes. It should also be required reading for teachers, so we can better prepare the next generation for the challenges they will face. Grade: A-
Sunday, February 23, 2014
February Book Reviews
The Undercover Economist Strikes Back: How to Run -- or Ruin -- an Economy by Tim Harford
I enjoy books about economics, and while I've read probably 10+ books on issues related to microeconomics, I've only read a few macroeconomics related books. However, of those that I've read, this is the best macroeconomics book. It is very readable and easy to understand due to the creative question and answer format of the book, and it is written from a fairly balanced perspective. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about macroeconomics. Grade: B+
Love & Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality by Edward Fenkel
This book is about 50% autobiographical: telling the story of a Jewish mathematician growing up in the USSR. This autobiographical half of the book is very interesting. The other 50% of the book is a summary of Fenkel's mathematical research and the Langlands program. This half is also interesting, but pretty difficult to digest. I've learned and taught a lot of mathematics -- I'm basically at the level of a graduate student, but I did not understand all of the presented information. An interesting book, but the math is a little overwhelming at times. Grade: B-
Sycamore Row by John Grisham
A classic John Grisham novel with a recurring character from his very first book -- A Time to Kill. This isn't his best book -- I still put A Painted House as his best book, and it won't be his best selling, but it still one of his 10 best -- maybe even in the top 5. It is a little slow at times, but it is also an incredibly moving story at times. Grade: B
I enjoy books about economics, and while I've read probably 10+ books on issues related to microeconomics, I've only read a few macroeconomics related books. However, of those that I've read, this is the best macroeconomics book. It is very readable and easy to understand due to the creative question and answer format of the book, and it is written from a fairly balanced perspective. I really enjoyed it and recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about macroeconomics. Grade: B+
Love & Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality by Edward Fenkel
This book is about 50% autobiographical: telling the story of a Jewish mathematician growing up in the USSR. This autobiographical half of the book is very interesting. The other 50% of the book is a summary of Fenkel's mathematical research and the Langlands program. This half is also interesting, but pretty difficult to digest. I've learned and taught a lot of mathematics -- I'm basically at the level of a graduate student, but I did not understand all of the presented information. An interesting book, but the math is a little overwhelming at times. Grade: B-
Sycamore Row by John Grisham
A classic John Grisham novel with a recurring character from his very first book -- A Time to Kill. This isn't his best book -- I still put A Painted House as his best book, and it won't be his best selling, but it still one of his 10 best -- maybe even in the top 5. It is a little slow at times, but it is also an incredibly moving story at times. Grade: B
Sunday, January 26, 2014
January Book Reviews
The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger by Marc Levinson
This book was published a few years ago, but since it focused on the rise of shipping contains in the 3 or 4 decades following World War 2, it was still interesting and timely. I read most of the book while traveling to and from Istanbul, Turkey, so I was able to see shipping containers and the specialized docks that were built to service these massive ships. I really enjoyed this book and I learned a lot. Fascinating book that is highly recommended. Grade: B+
Made in the USA: The Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing by Vaclav Smil
I picked up this book after reading how much Bill Gates enjoys books by Vaclav Smil in Wired Magazine. The first 2/3's of the book was interesting because it focused on the historical rise and decline of manufacturing in the US. The last third of the book was less interesting because it discussed why the decline was such a serious problem. I found this section of the book unpersuasive and a little dry. Overall, a good but not great book. Grade: B-
A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life by James Bowen
This book was a smash hit in England back in 2011. It is the story of James Bowen who finds a cat and this cat motivates him and helps him to improve his life. The book is enjoyable and inspiring. I think that it would have been so easy for the authors (James Bowen and Garry Jenkins) to add a bunch of drama to the story by exaggerating some of the events that are described. Instead, there was only limited drama and this made the book seem more authentic to me. Very enjoyable and now I know what busking is. Grade: B
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard Feynman
I read this book for the second time and it was still interesting and funny. Richard Feynman was interested in so many different things (art, language, music, physics, etc.) -- he was amazing. As a scientist, he always seemed to focus on doing a few great things instead of many small things. I think that every researcher and scientist should read this book because we all (especially me) could benefit from being more focused on quality and integrity over quantity. Grade: A-
This book was published a few years ago, but since it focused on the rise of shipping contains in the 3 or 4 decades following World War 2, it was still interesting and timely. I read most of the book while traveling to and from Istanbul, Turkey, so I was able to see shipping containers and the specialized docks that were built to service these massive ships. I really enjoyed this book and I learned a lot. Fascinating book that is highly recommended. Grade: B+
Made in the USA: The Rise and Retreat of American Manufacturing by Vaclav Smil
I picked up this book after reading how much Bill Gates enjoys books by Vaclav Smil in Wired Magazine. The first 2/3's of the book was interesting because it focused on the historical rise and decline of manufacturing in the US. The last third of the book was less interesting because it discussed why the decline was such a serious problem. I found this section of the book unpersuasive and a little dry. Overall, a good but not great book. Grade: B-
A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life by James Bowen
This book was a smash hit in England back in 2011. It is the story of James Bowen who finds a cat and this cat motivates him and helps him to improve his life. The book is enjoyable and inspiring. I think that it would have been so easy for the authors (James Bowen and Garry Jenkins) to add a bunch of drama to the story by exaggerating some of the events that are described. Instead, there was only limited drama and this made the book seem more authentic to me. Very enjoyable and now I know what busking is. Grade: B
Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman! Adventures of a Curious Character by Richard Feynman
I read this book for the second time and it was still interesting and funny. Richard Feynman was interested in so many different things (art, language, music, physics, etc.) -- he was amazing. As a scientist, he always seemed to focus on doing a few great things instead of many small things. I think that every researcher and scientist should read this book because we all (especially me) could benefit from being more focused on quality and integrity over quantity. Grade: A-
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